HatOLOGY 660
Michael Adkins, Tenor Saxophone
Russ Lossing, Piano
John Hebert, Bass
Paul Motion, Drums
Tenor saxophonist Michael Adkins is a new name to me, although he’s been based in New York City since 1998 and recorded a previous album in 2000. I don’t know what he’s been up to during the last decade, but overall Rotator is a very impressive (near) debut recording. Adkins style is contemplative with bluesy overtones and a hint of Jan Garbarek’s plaintiveness. I also hear echoes of Keith Jarrett’s 1970’s quartet with Garbarek in the way themes are sometimes stated in unison by the sax and piano. The rhythm section is not one in the traditional sense; there’s a near-telepathic interplay among all 4 and an elastic sense of time. Pieces seem to expand and contract as they evolve, and there’s a sense of events unfolding in a logical way. If I have a quibble with Rotator, it’s that many of the performances are taken at roughly the same medium-fast tempo; it would have helped to have a little more variety. This slight homogeneity also has me wondering if Adkins is a one-trick pony. If he is, however, it’s a mighty nice trick.
Rotator comes highly recommended for the organic group sound that the quartet generates, and I’m interested in what Mr. Adkins does next.
(Review taken from my blog,
http://improvisedblog.blogspot.com)
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